Many different types of greenhouse and solarium constructions are known which involve glazing structures having glass or similar material supported in aluminum or other such types of frames for purposes of forming an enclosure wherein may be accommodated animal or botanical life. Thus, for example, greenhouses are known in which botanical life is accommodated in an enclosure which the sun's rays are permitted to enter while the botanical life is nevertheless sheltered from hostile environmental elements such as snow, rain, sleet, cold and so forth. Similarly, solarium constructions adapted for protecting human occupants, while exposing the same to the sun's rays, are also known.
Somewhat different from the conventional types of greenhouses where no thought is given to energy conservation and distribution are the newer types of solar greenhouses designed to conserve energy and to use the energy to heat the greenhouse itself or to provide various other advantages, such as heating of an associated home, providing hot water and so forth. In these greenhouses, plants thrive under the conditions of control of air circulation and energy conservation. Such greenhouses can often be considered to be substantially part of the home or dwelling constituting the supporting structure against which the greenhouse is mounted in lean-to posture.
In known greenhouse and solarium constructions ventilation of the greenhouse or solarium enclosure is generally provided by employing conventional roof sash venting or venting by means of glazing sections which are permitted to open in the manner of a hinged flap. This arrangement has the disadvantage that rain, snow, sleet and so forth may readily enter the enclosure while, at the same time, no controlled venting of the solarium or greenhouse enclosure is provided.